The Nuremburg Kettle

Kettling seems to have outlived its usefulness. of course it was only a matter of time before the anarchists, who now try to infiltrate every big demo and go on the rampage, worked out a response. (In France they call them “casseurs” and recently they used a demo to rob a jewellery store in an arcade.) So now all kettling does is alienate the compliant non-violent demonstrators whilst tying up massive police resources and thus allowing the bad boys the space and freedom to cause mayhem and (as they clearly hope) for the State to clamp down even harder on everyone else. To do this is to fall into their trap.

I was privileged recently to eavesdrop on a seminar given by one of these guys to some new recruits. I was on a train and one method of fund raising was being explained by the expert. Appropriate unocccupied premises are first identified. Having organised your supplies and staff you then pick a suitable weekend (preferably a bank holiday because there is a longer shutdown for the courts and other agencies) and squat the building in the traditional fashion. A restaurant is then set up. There are a number of points to watch, some in relation to liquor licensing, but in the main the objective is to operate the business for the whole weekend and than disappear with the cash by the time the owner or the local council have had the time to get an emergency hearing in court and an eviction order. The lecturer was an expert on the rights of the squatter and the limitations imposed on the authorities. It seems in operating this kind of scam the only people you have to watch out for are the Fire Brigade as they can shut you down quickly.